A. The Academic Year
1. The Middlebury College calendar is determined according to the following guidelines. The Calendar Committee may make reasonable adjustments within these rules to accommodate any specific year.
a. Fall Semester
i. Normally, orientation week begins the first Wednesday after the first Monday in September and classes begin the following Monday.
ii. The semester extends for 13 weeks, followed by a final examination period.
iii. There are two recess periods:
(a) Two days, usually during the sixth or seventh week
(b) Wednesday through Sunday of Thanksgiving week
b. Winter Term
Winter term begins between January 3 and 6, depending upon when New Year's Day falls. Winter term will consist of 20 days of instruction. The break between winter and spring terms will normally be a minimum of 11 days and a maximum of 16 days, but when this schedule necessitates beginning spring term classes in midweek the break may be reduced to 9 days.
c. Spring Semester
i. Spring semester classes usually start on the Monday after the winter break as defined above.
ii. The semester extends for 13 weeks, followed by a final examination period.
iii. There is a recess period of one week, usually after the sixth or seventh week of the spring semester.
d. Final Examination Period
The final examination period for fall and spring semester normally begins on the Monday following the end of classes. Normally, examinations are scheduled on the following Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. There are three examination periods on each day, except the first Tuesday, when there are two examination times, one in the morning and one in the evening. The spring semester examination period may be shortened to avoid having Commencement occur later than May 30.